HealthWatch: Migraines & Headaches

Green Bay (WFRV) Migraines are one of the top twenty disabling medical illnesses and over 10 percent of the population suffers from them.

Now a treatment commonly used for cosmetic purposes is giving some people their lives back.

Botox is used to paralyze the muscles in your face and stops them from contracting which in turn temporarily reduces or eradicates wrinkles. It's one of the top five nonsurgical cosmetic procedures performed each year.

But plastic surgeons found that some of their patients were experiencing a surprising benefit, the Botox was helping relieve their migraines.

Botox helped Amy Miller get her life back. Amy was getting migraines nearly every day.

"I was pretty much stuck in my bedroom for the first year of the migraines. Just taking my medication and sleeping," said Amy Miller, Migraine Sufferer.

She suffers from Chronic Migraine Syndrome.

"A chronic migraine is going to be a patient that that has 15 days of more of migraines a month. With migraines that are going to be debilitating. Maybe prohibiting them from church, work, social functions," said Sara Beno-Chambers, FNP-BC, MSCN, Neurology Nurse Practitioner.

Amy's migraines began about 3 years ago. She had to quite work, "It's very depressing and you think everybody forgets about you. And they say how are you doing and you never really have a positive answer," explained Amy.

The migraines affected her relationship with her husband and two sons.

"I was unable to promise them anything, do anything with them, go to their games, do anything fun." said Amy.

"What we think is that it blocks the chemicals that generate the pain message and by blocking that chemical from being released it them would limit the cascade that would typically trigger a migraine," explained Beno-Chambers.

Amy is now down to one migraine a week. Botox changed her life, "It's amazing. My husband and I can do more because we're not afraid I'm just going to get a headache. My boys they talk to me more. They know that they can because I don't have a headache," said Amy.

And Amy's forehead is wrinkle free.

There are many people who suffer from migraines like Amy but who haven't found relief. One reason why Beno-Chambers is participating in an upcoming headache seminar.

"Trying to do an education piece to patients who do have migraines and headaches, we want to share with them as far as possible," said Beno-Chambers.

Aurora BayCare Medical Center is offering a free headache seminar on Tuesday, June 3rd from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m.

The seminar is being held at Aurora BayCare Orthopedic & Sports Medicine Center next to the hospital.

To learn more you can call Aurora BayCare at 866-938-0035 or email healthwatch@aurorabaycare.com <mailto:healthwatch@aurorabaycare.com

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